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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Social determinants of health

Health Care Access in the Heartland: How to Improve Services in Rural America
Outlines strategies policymakers and community leaders in rural America can use to improve healthcare access and services. Combines data analysis of county demographics and health data with focus groups in Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. Provides expert interviews to better understand healthcare access in rural communities.
Author(s): Darren Chapman, Angie Cooper, Elizabeth Dombowsky, et al.
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: Heartland Forward
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Community Schools in Idaho Are Bolstered by Statewide Networks and Enriched Learning Opportunities
Provides an overview on the impact of community schools in urban and rural areas of Idaho. Discusses benefits such as familial engagement, more consistent attendance, access to human services and resources, early childhood education programs, and more.
Author(s): Jennifer Kotting
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: Brookings Institution
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2018-2021 Rural Opioid Technical Assistance (ROTA) Grant Overview
Highlights Rural Opioid Technical Assistance grantee projects between 2018 and 2021. Projects address topics such as mental health, opioid use prevention, stigma, youth, social determinants of health, culturally competent programming, trauma informed care training, partnership building, and more.
Date: 11/2022
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Social Determinants of Health in the Age of COVID: Effects of Social Isolation Among Adults 62+ in Rural Pennsylvania
Results of a study analyzing the extent of social isolation among rural Pennsylvanians aged 62 or older during the pandemic, evaluating determinants of social isolation, identifying programs and services that minimize social isolation, and assessing potential replicability in Pennsylvania. Includes sections on factors such as mental health access, faith-based organizations, transportation, technology use, and housing options.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Author(s): Christopher Harris, FangHsun Wei, Mary Rita Weller, Kelly Smith
Date: 11/2022
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Economic Development and Native Communities: An Interview with Martin Jennings
An interview with Martin Jennings, leader of the Northwest Indian Community Development Center, a native-controlled nonprofit with a focus on wellness and equity for American Indian families in northern Minnesota.
Author(s): Joelle Cook, Martin Jennings
Date: 11/2022
Sponsoring organization: FSG
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Bringing Community Voice into Cross-Sector Data Sharing: Addressing the Health Needs of Children and Youth in Rural South Carolina
A case study that discusses collaboration across multiple organizations involved with the Learning and Action in Policy and Partnerships (LAPP) initiative to improve data sharing related to youth living in rural South Carolina. Discusses how improved data sharing and collaboration can help rural schools and community leaders address students' physical and mental health needs.
Date: 11/2022
Sponsoring organizations: Center for Health Care Strategies, Data Across Sectors for Health
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Health, Work, and Care in Rural America
Report examining rural access to paid leave from work, the economic impacts of limited access to paid leave, and distances to hospital-based and skilled nursing care. Offers a broad view of rural economic and health dynamics, travel burdens to access hospital-based care, and presents policy recommendations to address paid leave as a social determinant of health.
Author(s): Vicki Shabo, Hannah Friedman
Date: 11/2022
Sponsoring organization: New America
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Assessing Effectiveness of Early Childhood Home Visiting Models Implemented with Tribal Populations
Report assesses the efficacy of early childhood home visiting models for tribal populations. Reviews and assesses home visiting literature, information, and implementation procedures to establish best-practices for American Indian and Alaska Native populations.
Author(s): Rachel Bleiweiss-Sande, Emily Sama-Miller, Carla Chavez, Rebecca Coughlin, Andrea Mraz Esposito
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Administration for Children and Families
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Assessment of Strategies Used in US Hospitals to Address Social Needs During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Presents findings on efforts to address social determinants of health (SDOH) by rural hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), and safety-net hospitals according to 2020 American Hospital Association survey data. Discusses rates of social needs among patient populations served by rural and urban hospitals and rates of SDOH screening and community partnerships.
Author(s): Jose F. Figueroa, Ciara Duggan, Cristina Toledo-Cornell, et al.
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 3(10), e223764
Date: 10/2022
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Using Z Codes to Improve Health Equity in Rural Indiana
Describes how Cameron Memorial Community Hospital, a Critical Access Hospital in Indiana, used ICD-10-CM Z codes to detect and address patients' social needs as part of its health equity strategy.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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